Air-brake-piston remover



(No Model.) 2 .Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. E. SHBARWOOD. AIR BRAKE PISTON REMOVER.

No. 574,498. Patented-Jan. 5, 1897.

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(NO Model.) -2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

c. E. SHBARWQOD. AIR BRAKE PISTONREMOVER.

l 1\I'o.-5'74,4Q8. Patented Jan. 5, 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

CHARLES EDVIN SIIEARWOOD, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

AIR-BRAKE-PISTON REMovER.

SPECIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,498, dated January 5, 1897'. Application filed December 23, 1895. Serial No. 573,062. (No model.)

Be it known that I, CHARLES EDWIN SHEAR- WOOD, of St. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements in Air-Brake-Piston Removers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of an improved device for removing the piston from the brakecylinder of railway-train air-brake systems, its object being to provide means for locking together the cylinder-head and piston-rod sleeve, so as to restrain the release-spring while unboltin g the cylinder-head and removing it and the piston from the cylinder.

To this end my invention consists in providing a clamping device which is adapted to be inserted into the outer end of the pistonrod sleeve and to be expanded, so as to firm ly grip the same. The device outside of the sleeve is formed with shoulders or stops adapted to bear against the cylinder-head,`thus holding the piston-rod sleeve and cylinderhead locked together and restraining the release-spring. The cylinder-head can thus be unbolted and, together with the piston and connected parts, removed, so as to allow of cleaning or other work upon the inside of the cylinder.

My invention further consists in the construction and combination hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a vertical cent-ral cross-section of a brake-cylinder and its included parts, showing my device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cylinder-head and piston-rod sleeve removed from the cylinder and held locked toget-her by my improved device, and Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of one member of my device.

In the drawings, A represents the ordinary construction of air-brake cylinder provided with the back head 2 and front head 3. 4 represents the piston, and 5 the piston-rod sleeve, which, as shown, projects through the opening 6 in the back head 2. The piston-is provided with the ordinary follower 7, secured to it by means of the bolts 8, and interposed between the outer edge of the follower and piston is the packing-leather 9, held in engagement with the cylinder-body by means of the expander l0. The piston is normally held against the front head of the cylinder by means of the release-spring ll, inclosin g the piston-rod sleeve and having its ends bearing upon the cylinder-head 2 and piston +L, respectively. Adapted to be used in connection with this and similar constructions ot' brake-cylinders to remove the piston is my improved device B. This is made up, as shown, of the two similar cla-mp members l2 and 13, joined together at one end by the link-and-pin hinge la. The opposite ends or jaws l5 of the clamp members, which are adapted to be inserted into the end of the piston-rod sleeve, are roughened, so as to firmly grip the wall of the sleeve. Each member of the clamp is provided with a shoulder 1G, adapted to abut upon the cylinder-head when the device is in place, as shown in Fig. 2. In order to receive the projecting end of the piston-rod sleeve, which sometimes projects some distance beyond the head, I form the notch 17 between the clamp members and shoulders Threaded transversely through the member l2 of the device and bearing against the bed 1S in the opposite members is the thumbscrew 19, whereby by the turning of the screw the jaws of the clamp are expanded, as shown in Fig. l. In order to prevent slipping of the members, I preferably provide the pin 20, fixed in one member and being of such length as to project into the opening ll in the opposite member. t

In the use of my device with the parts in the position shown in Fig. l the jaws are inserted into the end of the piston-rod sleeve until the shoulders bear against the cylinderhead. The thumb-screw is then turned until the jaws are sufficiently expanded in'the sleeve to firmly grip the wall of the same, thus lockingthe cylinder-head and sleeve together and preventing relative Inovement between them under thepressure of the release-spring. The bolts 22 Inay then be taken oi and the piston and cylinder-head removed from the cylinder, so as to allow the groove 23 in the cylinder to be cleaned or any other necessary work performed.

In the ordinary manner of removing the piston the strength of the release-spring is such that it is necessary for one man to hold the IOO head while the other removes the bolts. The head then being taken off in order to remove the piston, the parts are separated und er the tension of the spring, and it is much more difficult to replace them after the necessary cleaning has been done.

Vith my device,by means of the jaws Iirmly gripping the piston-rod sleeve and the shoulders abutting against the cylinder-head, the same are held from disengagement, and the tendency of the spring to force orf the head restrained. The parts can thus be easily removed and replaced by a single person.

I claim- 1. In a clamp of the class described, in combination, the clamp members adapted to be inserted into the piston-rod sleeve, the stops or shoulders relatively xed with relation to the jaws of said members, for engaging the cylinder-head, and the means for expanding said members so as to cause their jaws to tightly grip said sleeve and lock said sleeve and cylinder-head together.

2. In a device of the class described, in combination the similar clamp members adapted to be inserted into the piston-rod sleeve, the fixed stops carried by each of said clamp members for engaging the cylinder-head, the

hinged connection for said clamp members, and the means for expanding them so as to cause their jaws to grip said sleeve, and lock said sleeve an d cylinder-head together.

In an air-brake-piston remover, the combination of the pair of clamp members, their jaws being adapted to engage the piston-rod sleeve, the means upon each of said members for independently engaging the cylinderhead, the hinge connection for said clamp members, and the transverse screw carried by one member and engaging the other for separating the jaws of said members.

4. In a device of the class described, the pair of similar clamp members having the faces of their jaws roughened the shoulder upon each of said members adapted to engage the cylinder-head, the hinged connection for said clamp members, and the means for turning said members upon their hinge, so as to separate their jaws and cause them to engage the piston-rod sleeve, whereby said clamp is fixed to said sleeve and relative outward movement of the cylinder-head prevented by said shoulder.

5. In an air-brakepiston remover, the combination of the similar clamp members adapted to engage the piston-rod sleeve, the hinged connection for said clamp members, the cxterior relatively-fixed shoulder or stop carried by each of said members, and abutting against said cylinder-head, the notch between each of said stops and its member to receive the projecting end of the piston-rod sleeve, and the means for separating said members.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES .EDWIN SHIMIHYOOD. NVitnesses:

T. D. MERWIN, II. S. JOHNSON. 

